The RSA algorithm has become an encryption standard for many e-commerce security applications. The patent for it was issued to MIT on Sept. 20, 1983, and licensed exclusively to RSA Security.

A recent research paper makes the claim that the RSA cryptographic algorithm can be broken with a quantum algorithm. Skeptics warn: don’t believe everything you read.

The method, outlined in a scientific paper published in late December, could be used to break the RSA algorithm that underpins most online encryption using a quantum machine with only 372 qubits ...